Nipple.



,M. V. CROKER.

NIPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-1.1917.

1,26@,15v Patentd lliar. 19, 1918.

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MARK V. CROKER, OF NEWTON UPPER FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

NIPPLE.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MARK V. CROKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton Upper Falls, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Nipples, of which the following is a specifi- This invention relates to improvements in nipples and particularly to insulating nipples for water pipes, gas pipes and the like.

It is common practice among electricians and persons installing the wiring for telephones to connect the ground wires to the water pipe where it enters a building from the street. This arrangement of the ground wire very often endangers the lives of the occupants of the building and also results in the starting of fires due to a short circuiting of the wires in the building.

Also a great many fires have been started and people received shocks from contacting with the water or gas pipes even though the ground wires of the electric wiring have 7 not been attached to said pipes. This happens through the short circuiting or grounding of electric currents through moisture in the ground outside of the building where the ground wires of some other building, or of some exterior source are in close proX- imity to the water or gas mains with which the piping within the building may be connected.

The object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive insulating nipple adapted to be inserted in a water or gas pipe near where said pipes enter the building and to insulate. the pipe within the building from that without.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

F gure 1 is a longitudinal section of a nipple embodying this invention, said nipple being disposed in close proximity to the shut oii valve of the system of piping including said nipple.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the nipple.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 and 2 represent two pipes which may be either wateror gas pipes. These pipes are threaded at their ends at 3. Between these ends is disposed a Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Rial. 19, 1918.

Application filed February 1, 1917. Serial No. 146,018.

nipple 4- coustructed of suitable insulating material or non-conducting material, such as hard rubber, fiber or the like. Opposite ends of the nipple 4 are preferably screw threaded at 5, 5 and these ends are connectedto the adjacent ends of the pipes l and 2 by suitable metal connecting means or coupling members 6 and 7 respectively. If desired, these coupling members may both be made like the member 7 which has a screw threaded socket 8 adapted to receive the screw threaded end of said nipple, said member also having an internally threaded end 9 adapted to receive the screw threaded portion 3 of the pipe 2. The outer portion of the socket 8 is preferably made hexagonal in form so that a wrench may be applied thereto in attaching a coupling member to the suction pipe and also the nipple 4-.

The coupling member 7 is constructed in one piece, that is to say, the socket member 8 and the internally screw threaded portion 9 are formed integral. The coupling memher 6, however, is, for convenience, made in two parts which constitute a union, and the socket 8 thereof is provided with an annular rim 10. which reaches over the internally screw threaded portion 9 and engages a flange 11 formed at its inner end so that when said member 8 is rotated, the portion 10 engages the flange 11 and the screw threads 5 cause said flange 11 to be drawn firmly against the end of the nipple al. at 12 which forms a seat to prevent leakage.

The inner or adjacent ends of the members 8 of the coupling members 6 and 7 are each provided with an annular rim 13 which is inclined slightly in the direction of the other coupling member. By means of this rim any moisture which may collect upon the metal coupling members 6 and 7 will not be transm tted by the capillary attraction to the nipple L and thus cause a short circuit along the surface of said nipple to the other metal coupling member but will drip from the lowermost point of said rim, whether said nipple is placed in a horizontal position or a vertical position, owing to the inclination of said rim, as hereinbefore mentioned.

vVhen hard rubber is used as the insulating material it is apt to be destroyed by fire should the fire be permitted to come in contact therewith and to protect said nipple from the fire a covering 14c of asbestos or j 1,6, or between said shut. off-and the main.

any other suitable material'of an insulatmg nature 1s arranged about said rubber.

Opposite ends or the cover 14 are adapted to be inserted in recesses 15 formed in ends of the coupling members 6 and 7, thus eeurel he lins e deebest leee The position 0'1" uiemippie' 'v'vith relat ioiito the shut off of the Water or 7 gas system to Which the same is to be attached may be either inside ofthe shutofiQ-Which is indicated at F or water systems, however, the preferred location would naturally be inside of said shut off: so that when'the rvva ter is shut offfrom the building there Will: be no electrical connectiol i Whatever, either by means of the Water Within, or through the metal consti-' tuting the pipe, between the piping in the building and that outside of they building. Having thus described my invention What I, claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is 1. A 'devlce of the character described having, incomblnation, a tube constructed eerie! e we enfi. ma b b ain o of hard rubber, a metallic coupling member having, in combination, a tube constructed-- of insulating material, a' metallic coupllng member having; screw threaded engagement with each end, of, Stud tube, and a covering constructed 01E; fire-proof insulating mate? rial adaptedto surround said; tube d i terlOck with Coupling embers atoPPosite endsof saiditube, r r v V j In testimony whereof I have hereunto'setpr sen e of; two. subs ri ing my, hand in Witnesses. V V

7 MA Q Q R:

Zitnesses: i 7

CHA L S S. Goonnve, SYnmr-E. Tam".

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner qtlategts, w ehiez e 2-. 

